Ways to Identify a Chemical for Information Retrieval

·Formula (problem because there is one formula
for multiple chemicals)

·Structure (sometimes search tools will not allow
you to deal with stereochemistry)

·Mass (problem because there is one mass for
multiple chemicals)

·Physical Properties (problem because there are
similar physical properties for multiple chemicals)

·Spectra (difficult to search using any source
but is like a Photo ID for a chemical)

·Unique Identifier (i.e. an equivalent of a
Social Security Number for a chemical): (1) IUPAC (International Union of Pure
and Applied Chemistry) Identifier or (2) CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service)
Registry Number